PRINCIPLES OF

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
Principles of Language Assessment

1. Practicality
2. Reliabiltiy
3. Validity
4. Authenticity
5. Washback
 1. Practicality

An effective test is practical. It means that :

1. The test is not excessively expensive
2. It stays within appropriate time constraints
3. It is relatively easy to administer
4. It has scoring procedure that is specific and
time-efficient
 1. Practicality

• A test may be highly reliable and valid but not

practical, i.e. beyond our means of facilities
• There are three factors concerning the
practicality of a test:
1. economy
2. ease of administration and scoring
3. easy of interpretation
 Economy Factor

 Economy in money
 the cost per copy
 the test books are reusable or not
 the number of scorers
 the number of administrators
 Economy in time
 how long the administering and scoring
 Select an instrument of sufficient length but
yields dependable and meaningful results
 Ease of Administration and scoring

It means :
 It refers to the ease with which a test
can be administered
 clear directions should be provided
 the equipment needed
 scoring procedures: subjective or objective
 Ease of Interpretation

1. if a standard test is used, take care of the data:

 its reliability and validity
 its standard deviation
 the norms for reference
2. have general guidance about the meaning of the
test scores :
 the mean expected
 the index of item difficulty accepted
 the index of item discrimination accepted
 2. Reliability

1. Reliability is the stability of the test score

2. A reliable test is consistent and dependable.
3. Approximately the same result will be obtained if:
• The test is administered to the same group on
different occasions
• We gave two parallel forms of the test to the same
group on different occasion
• Two or more different scorers scored the test
• The same scorer scored the test on different occasions
 Factors Affecting Reliability
1. The extent of the material selected for
testing
2. The administration of the test (Test
administration Reliability)
3. Personal factors (student-related reliability)
4. Scoring the test (rater reliability)
 Methods of Measuring Reliability

1. Test re-test method: re-administer the same

test after lapse of time
2. Alternate or parallel forms method:
administering two similar versions of a
particular test.
3. Split-half method: breaking up the test into
two equal parts and then finding out the
correlation between the two parts, e.g. odd
and even
 3. Validity

 Validity is defined as the extent to which

inferences made from assessment results are
appropriate , meaningful and useful in terms of
the purpose of the assessment
 A test is said to be valid if it measures what it is
supposed to measure
 Example , A valid test of reading ability it
must measure reading ability
a test of speaking ability given orally
 Types of Validity

1. Content – Related Evidence Validity (Content

Validity)
2. Criterion- Related Evidence Validity
3. Construct- - Related Evidence Validity
4. Consequential Validity
5. Face Validity
 Content Validity
 The extent to which the content of a test can
be said to be sufficiently representative and
comprehensive of the purpose for which it has
been designed
 The relationship of the test with the course
outline or the material
 Criterion Validity (Empirical Validity)
The extent to which the criterion of the test has actually been
reached.
Methods of obtaining empirical validity: comparing the
results of the test with the results of some criterion measure
such as criterion measure:
a. An existing test, known or believed to be valid and given
at the same time
b. The teacher’s rating or any other such form of
independent assessment given at the same time
c. The subsequent performance of the testees on a certain
task measured by some valid test
d. The teacher’s rating or any other such form of
independent assessment given later
 Two Types of Criterion Validity

1. Concurrent Validity : the extent to which test

takers' scores on one test relate to those on
another externally recognised test or
measure
2. Predictive Validity :the extent to which scores
on test Y predict test takers' ability to do X
e.g. IELTS + success in academic studies at
university
 Construct-Related Evidence Validity

• The extent to which evidence can be found to

support the underlying theoretical construct on
which the test is based
• The relationship between the test and the
theory of language teaching and learning
 Consequential-Evidence Validity

• Consequential Validity encompasses all the

consequences of a test including such
considerations as its accuracy in measuring
intended criteria, its impact on the preparation
of test takers, its effect on the learners and the
intended and unintended social consequences
of a test’s interpretation and use
 Face Validity

• It is concerned with the physical appearance of the

test
• Face validity refers to the degree to which a test looks
right and appears to measure the knowledge and
abilities it claims to measure, based on the judgment
of the examinees who take it, the administrative
personnel who decide on its use and other
psychometrjcaly unsophisticated observers. The face
validity of a test will be high if : items which are
clear and uncomplicated, directions that are clear, a
well constructed format , ect
 4. Authenticity

• Authenticity is defined as the degree of

correspondence of the characteristics of a
given language test task to the features of a
target language task and for transforming those
them into valid test items.
 5. Washback

• It is the effect of testing on teaching and

learning.
• It also refers to the effects the tests have in
terms of students prepare for the test